7000 Christchurch Students To Attend Careers Expo

7000 Christchurch Students To Attend Careers Expo

More than 7,000 Christchurch students are expected to attend the Coca-Cola Careers Expo on its inaurgural visit to the Garden City. The Coca-Cola Careers Expo is a one-stop shop of vital advice about study opportunities and careers for secondary students.

Coca-Cola Careers Expo, which will run from Sunday 16 May until Tuesday 18 May at Christchurch's Westpac Centre, provides a forum for secondary students to explore a range of tertiary and career options and offers practical strategies for making a successful transition from school to meaningful work.

The Christchurch visit represents the first stop of the Expo's 14th annual tour. It will also visit Auckland (10 - 13 August), Wellington (18 – 19 August) and Dunedin (2 - 3 September).

In advance of the Expo, students receive an official Expo Handbook in a special issue of JET magazine. The Handbook, developed by Robyn Walshe of Judi Grace Consultancy Ltd., is designed to be a career planning resource for students before and after Expo.

"Students today are challenged by choice - the career possibilities are unlimited. But knowing where to start and how to explore the options can be baffling," explains Walshe, also a member of the Coca-Cola Careers Expo Advisory Board.

"With good preparation before the Expo, students can narrow down their choices to careers that will be realistic, satisfying and exciting.

Then with the huge array of resources at the Expo, including the right people on hand to answer questions, good decisions can be made."

Over 70 exhibitors will participate in Christchurch, ranging from associations and companies keen to promote their industry or business, to tertiary education facilities offering training in a broad range of careers.

A highlight of the three-day Expo is a seminar programme that offers students practical information from experts in fields spanning skilled trades, science, sport, health and entrepreneurship.

[The Coca-Cola Careers Expo Seminar Schedule is outlined at the end of this document.]

Ian Furlong, General Manager Corporate Affairs believes it is important for companies such as Coca-Cola to support students in developing career management skills that will last throughout their working career.

"What better investment could we make than to support our young people when they are making decisions of such magnitude that they can influence the rest of their lives. We want to give them access to information to enable them to make the best decision they can for them as an individual."

Coca-Cola Careers Expo Schedule

Sunday 16 May 11am - 5pm

Monday 17 May 9am - 3pm and 5pm - 8pm

Tuesday 18 May 9pm - 3pm

Coca-Cola Careers Expo Seminar Schedule

Sunday 16 May 2004 2.00pm Careers in the Trades

2.30pm Careers in Science

3.00pm Careers in Sport

3.30pm Working with Animals

Monday 17 May 2004 5.30pm What Employers are Looking for

6.00pm Careers in Health

6.30pm Enterprise Careers -

How to become an entrepreneur

7.00pm Information and Communication Technology (ICT) / Hi-Tech

The Coca-Cola Careers Expo is a collaborative initiative developed in partnership with Government, industry and secondary and tertiary educators.

The event is underwritten by Coca-Cola Amatil (NZ) Ltd. and is free for students, teachers and parents.

© Scoop Media